SiddieRun

In Chronological Order

Notes:
1. The icons indicate whither the items are textual(), an audiocast(), or video().
2. Siddierun Gaiden episodes are included for the sake of completeness.
3. The prequels are fiction while everything else are summaries or records of play.

A Secret Correspondence

Delivered in secret by Izzie and charmed to only be read by Idris or her Nocturnal Companion.

Reads as:

Hey, Idris. This is UA. Hope you’re enjoying life and being alive. I know I am. Been living it up with the Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears at her place in the North. Lots of fun but I think I’m going to have to leave soon. More importantly, Erehio just made an appearance and it seems like he is going to be staying for a while. Thought you might like to pay him a visit.

A Joint Sidereal-Lunar Operation In Halta

After returning from Sijan, the S-Team finds no mission waiting for them, the dilemma of the new Exalted still under investigation, and the Sidereal body politic working out the aftermath of the War for the Throne. After receiving a letter, Unknown Axiom goes off on her own to complete a secret task in Mafeas. Taking the initiative, the rest of the team chooses to investigate the tip they got from the Infernal Exalt Eva. The Infernal revealed the details of a Solar akuma’s plot to disrupt the dragon lines of Halta and ruin the land. Eva hoped to obtain the party’s trust and promised to reveal more as part of a plea for her unnamed demon associate’s amnesty from Yu Shan.

Countless, after learning from his research staff that Halta is Lunar Exalted territory, sends out invitations to Lunar friendly contacts of the Division of Secrets to join in the investigation. Eventual, he is sent instructions to contact a Lunar friendly forest guide in the Haltan city of Chanta. He also hires the freelance Lunar Bulldog to help with the mission. Meanwhile, Idris arranges to have tea and drinks with a representative of the Bureau of Nature, Pirouette of Thunders, an undersecretary and the Goddess of Weather Worship. At her manse, Idris proceeds to drink the bureaucrat under the table and obtains the contact information for Glorious Jade Branch, the leader of the Forest Walkers in Halta. Idris is told that the Forest Walker can be contacted by relaying messages through the local trees. Additionally, Idris receives formal permission for her team’s mission as Pirouette of Thunders agrees, on behalf of the Convention on Natural Disasters, that the Haltan forest is in danger of total destruction due to fire spreading through the region. This would annihilate the trees, erode the soil, and disrupt the water table. Disrupting the water table would change the course of a number of underwater rivers connected to dragon lines and lead to massive essence disruption.

The party reconvenes, sets out through the 22nd Yu Shan gate, and travels on Slinger’s land boat towards Halta. Once the party believed they were deep enough in the forest, Idris disembarks to contact Glorious Jade Branch. Putting her hand on a tall redwood, Idris speaks in a formal tone, summoning the Tree Walker and announcing the party’s presence to the forest at large. Following this, Stickboy elementals appear from the tree branches. Idris implores them to help the party reach Glorious Jade Branch swiftly while Countless entices them with promises of berries bundled in silk ribbons. The few stick boys with attention spans board the ship and point the way to the Tree Walker’s sanctum.

After days of charm-enhanced speedy travel in the land boat with a gaggle of hyperactive stickboys, the party finally makes it to an open clearing where the Tree Walker stands in giant form. He appears to attempt to crush the boat by stepping on it but shrinks to manageable, but still large, size and lands on deck. Gracious introductions are made, Singer’s battle butler Joe Bob serves drink, and the party informs the elemental of the situation as well as their intention to stop the destruction and heal the forest. To aid in the mission, Glorious Jade Branch sends out alerts to his fellow Forest Walkers to be in the general area of the party as they travel just in case back up is needed.

Next, the party heads north to the city of Chanta to meet with the forest guide contact. The city is located entirely in the branches of the massive local redwood trees. The party, along with Bulldog, climb rope ladders to the settlement above and meet with a man calling himself Tree Speaker. He claims he can arrange a meeting with some local Silver Pact Lunars but that he will need some sort of pretense. Countless convinces Bulldog, who isn’t a member of the Silver Pact, to meet with the Lunars about joining. Tree Speaker sends out his spirit contacts and a meeting is arranged with two Lunars named Arr-D’gado and Silver Python at the border of a small village a bit to the north called Black Branches. Tree Walker describes Silver Python as suspicious of Sidereals and a powerful survivor of the usurpation while Arr-D’gado is more recently exalted and knows little about the Sidereals.

In the forests outside Black Branches, the Lunars appeared in the canopy above the land boat and boarded once called too by Slinger. On the boat, Silver Python largely ignores the party and speaks to Bulldog. She asks to use the captain’s cabin and she goes in with Bulldog to talk about the Silver Pact. Countless waits outside and makes small talk with Arr-D’gado, who inadvertently insults the Sidereal repeatedly. Eventually, the pair of Lunars return, with Bulldog agreeing to join the pact but choosing not to get the usual Moonsilver tattoos as he wants to remain casteless. With that business covered, the party explains the cause of the troubles in Halta and asks for assistance. The two Lunars agree to help for the sake of the forest and due to the insistence of Forest Speaker.

With the war party now assembled, the group starts discussing how to find the Akuma. With Glorious Jade Branches assistance and knowledge gleaned from the Loom, the group maps the progress of the destruction and figures out where it will be heading. An intercept route is charted and the group sets out. On the route, shortly before reaching the planned intercept point, there is an earthquake. Idris sends out her God-blooded Peafowl to survey the area and they report that a fire has started nearby. Countless, whom as knowledge of sorcery, hypothesizes that the seismic activity and the fire together likely means that the Solar Circle spell Magma Kraken was cast and is devastating the area. With the Akuma likely nearby, the group prepares for conflict.

Glorious Jade Branch calls out for his fellow Forest Walkers to appear but stays on the boat as the Magma Kraken’s fire would be especially dangerous to him. The three Lunars assume their Warforms and head off to battle the Kraken. Idris uses her Sky and Rain Mantra charm to create a localized monsoon directly over the Magma Kraken. The rest of the S-Team chooses to stay on the boat, Countless because he isn’t a combatant, Slinger because he wants to protect the ship, and Zhuī Lóng because she wants to protect Idris Khan in case anything goes wrong. Hearing the intense fight with the Magma Kraken and seeing that the Sidereals aren’t going to fight, Forest Speaker reveals himself to have been a Lunar the whole time by transforming to his warform and flying off to aid his allies.

With the barrage of attack from the Lunars and the deluge from Idris’ charms, the Magma Kraken soon loses power and solidifies into cold obsidian. Idris send out her peafowl again to search the area and they find two figures deeper in the forest. The Lunars are sent to stop them from escaping while two of Glorious Jade Branch’s back up Forest Walker arrive undeterred now that the fiery threat has been removed. The two new Forest Walkers place their palms out and ask for the Exalts to step on. Idris and Zhuī Lóng do so and sink into the plant giants. After fully submerging, the two exalts are able to control the giants and their extreme strength. Large versions of their individual weapons appear in the Forest Walkers’ hands, allowing them to rain destruction on the source of the chaos: a female Solar Akuma and a spider-totem Lunar Akuma. A chase ensues with the Solar Akuma performing twenty perfect dodges in order to avoid her six pursuers. Finally, a well-placed slash from Idris’s brace-knives cuts the Akuma cleanly in half.

Slinger and Countless remain on the boat, steering it clear of the violence while maintaining an eye on the activity and commanding the stick boys to search for the Lunar. Unfortunately, the Lunar evades the group’s tracking attempts and gets away. The party returns to the land boat, where Countless, Zhuī Lóng, and Bulldog use the Forest Walker’s extreme strength to forge together obsidian from the fallen Magma Kraken, the blood of the Akuma, and Bulldog’s sword into a minor artifact. After that little experiment, Zhuī Lóng and Idris dismount from the giants, choking on putrid moss but mostly unharmed. Tree Speaker reveals his real name to be Rain Deathflyer and asks that his true identity remain a secret so that their can still be positive contact between Lunars and Sidereals. Despite some philosophical disagreements, the Lunar and Countless come to an agreement of mutual assistance. With the mission complete, the Lunars set off to hunt the escaped Akuma, whom they identify as The Last Hunter of Xaal, while the party and the elementals head off to reverse the damage to the forest. Over the course of the next month, Idris uses her charm Wilderness-Commanding Practice to move healthy forest to cover important damaged sections, Countless uses sorcery to increase plant growth in burn areas, and Glorious Jade Branch directs the healing to where it is need. Slinger and Zhuī Lóng enjoy a nice vacation while being waited on by Joe Bob.

With the forest healed, the party returns to the gate where they are met by Eva, who asks knowingly if her tip checked out. When the party confirms, she asks to continue her amnesty negations in Yu Shan and reveals she is working on behalf of the Yozi Szorney. Knowing this makes the negotiations even more fought, she offers to be taken by the party in shackles. For maximum security, Countless and Slinger ask the Celestial Lion at the gate to call for backup and bring essence-limiting manacles. With the Infernal Exalt contained, the party and the prisoner step through the gate to Yu-Shan.

On their last mission, the S-Team made direct contact with their Nocturnal “companions” in Sijan after being directed there to ensure free public entry to a forbidden area. They were also approached by an Exalted representative from Malfeas, named Eva, who wished to convey the desire of her master to defect if granted amnesty. In return, the representative claimed her master had access to the Yozis’ long and short term plans and was willing to divulge everything. As a free taste, the representative revealed that an Exalted agent of hell was working on the destruction of Halta by rearranging the country’s lay lines to cause massive essence eruptions.

Returning to Yu-Shan, the team found that the celestial bureaucracy was preoccupied with the end of the Realm Civil War and, as usual, the usual political infighting and inefficiency. With no mission waiting for them and Kurofa Kachina successfully booted out of his manse in Yu-Shan, the S-Team decided to set off on their own to deal with the Halta dilemma.

Note: Valentina still is having internet issues, so her character Idris may be on a personal revenge mission to kill the god who killed her mother and her Nocturnal companion’s wife. Anna is off on a free vacation to Israel because free trips are awesome. So Unknown Axiom may be off on another mission to Malfeas with Dan’s mentor.

You Don’t Have To Go Home But You Can’t Stay Here

Sometime before setting out on the S-Team’s mission to Halta, Idris Khan was bathing in her manse, The Blessed Rooftop Garden. While open to the sky, the trees moved around to provide privacy and a branch shaped itself into a tube which poured water upon the Exalt. Suddenly, Kurofa Kachina jumped into her bathing area while hoisting an obviously drunk Zhuī Lóng over her shoulder and loudly complaining that something needed to be done about their friend’s alcoholism.

Furious about the invasion of privacy, the naked Idris yells at the two to get out and that she will see them when she dries off and gets ready. K.K. looks puzzled, takes a breath in, and blows a plume of fire at Idris which dries her and conveniently, through burning, acts as a depilatory. K.K. turns and leaves while Idris stares at her surprised and disturbed. At the last second, she shakes her head and tells K.K. to call Unknown Axiom over too.

Twenty minutes latter in an area of the manse that has reoriented itself into a sitting room, Idris comes out to meet with the three other Exalts. With Zhuī passed out on the floor and drooling slightly, K.K. explains that she recently lost possession of her manse in Yu-Shan due to some sort of bureaucratic loop hole, which she totally doesn’t understand, and needs and place to stay. She found Zhuī by chance and would have asked to stay with her but the Chosen of Battles was totally shit-faced and busting up a tea house like some sort of drunken master. So K.K. her up and head to Idris so that they could sort their friend out and so that K.K. could ask to crash with the Chosen of Journeys.

Idris, still more than a little bit peeved, says that Zhuī can’t keep acting the way she does and K.K. can’t stay with her. After all, Zhuī need to act her age and be able to function as an agent of heaven. And K.K. should have a place that is at least partially her own and that she won’t be an annoying and dangerous guest at. After K.K. gives Idris sad puppy-dog eyes, Unknown asks if K.K. has anyone else she can go to. After thinking for a moment, K.K. says there is one person. She has found her Solar mate after a long search… but there is a problem. Her mate’s current incarnation… is a guy.

Idris and Unknown look at each other and look back at K.K. confused, asking what the problem is. Blushing, K.K. explains that she has only taken female form since the girl’s night out they had and has no idea how to act like a woman, to say nothing about how to seduce a man. Unknown Axiom makes a lewd comment which not only makes K.K. blush but seems to strike fear in the warrior’s heart. Idris asks if K.K. loves the guy. She responds in the affirmative, saying, “After all, he was once my wife.” A bit disturbed, Idris and Unknown hatch a plan.

They decide to train both K.K. and the rather butch Zhuī in the feminine arts to prepare the one to meet her mate and to keep an eye on the other. For the entire training time, Zhuī is also forced to quit all drugs and alcohol cold turkey. A training montage ensues, with both K.K. and Zhuī doing rather well in the beginning. Both seem to take to the Celestial tea ceremony and can walk in hells while balancing books on their heads. By the end, however, K.K. stomps of rather unladylike and Zhuī has abused a hidden flask.

With Zhuī off on another bender and K.K. as good as she is going to get, the three present Exalts take Gate 56 to Creation and make their way to a village outside Varangia. This is where K.K.’s mate, Desert Rat, is and here the Exalts plan magic to happen. Before entering Desert Rat’s workshop, K.K. turns to the other two and hands Idris a small artifact resembling a compact, which perfectly matches another which K.K. has. She says that the artifact will allow the Sidereals to look through her eyes and communicate directly with her mind. That way, if she starts to falter, the girls can play Cyrano. The Sidereals wish the Lunar good luck and leave her to meet her mate.

Entering the workshop, K.K. greets Desert Rat and quickly gets to implying a previous connection between the two Exalted. However, once she starts trying to use innuendo, she comes off as clumsy. Quickly, Idris jumps in and provides K.K. with some lines, which seem to work. Still, the Lunar seems reluctant to make more than minimal physical contact. Frustrated, Unknown grabs the artifact from Idris and, in doing so, notices a button on its back. Pressing it, Unknown finds that she can actually connect with K.K. body and direct it, though K.K. seems to be able to take back control if she wants. Seeking to resolve the situation, Unknown take a more direct approve and make’s K.K. unstated carnal intentions known very obviously. After knock everything off a table and pushing Desert Rat onto it, Unknown turns of the device as the scene in the workshop appropriately fades to black.

A couple of days later, Idris and Unknown are hanging out in The Blessed Rooftop Garden with hung over Zhuī, trying to think of a new course of action. The tree’s part and K.K. appears smiling and gives the two cognizant Sidereals a status update, basically saying she will be staying with her mate for a while. Unknown makes another lewd comment, to which a blushing K.K. responds that her mate will be out of commission for a while, muttering something about Strength 6 and Athletics 5 being a bit much for a crafter. Zhuī seems to laugh before looking like she has passed out. Idris asks Zhuī is she is ever going to give up being such a lush, which earns another laugh from the horizontally prone Chosen of Battles. To that, K.K. says she can help and opens a sack out of which a white and green draconic spirit appears. The spirit hovers above Zhuī, who seems to be rapidly be waking up. K.K. say that the beings name is Absin Tainthe, an enlightened spirit of intoxication, and that it can control when and how its owner gets intoxicated. K.K. appropriated the sprit using an invention of her mate’s, which looks suspiciously like a yellow crystal Poké Ball. After arguing with the three other Exalts for a moment, Idris sends Zhuī home and she leaves with her new familiar to mourn the loss of her constant state of intoxicated joy.

K.K. asks if she can stay for just the night, as she is leaving her mate to recover, and Idris obliges. The three remaining Exalts climb into an extra-large hammock made out of leaves and branch to fall asleep under the night sky of Yu-Shan.

Dranks and Dalliances at the Bath Of Venus

Near the Bath of Venus hot springs and spa complex in Yu-Shan, Zhuī Lóng and Idris Khan wait for Unknown Axiom so that they can start their day of pampering. A woman approaches, asking the two Exalts if they received the tickets she sent them. Idris attempts to figure out who the woman is subtly, without revealing her ignorance, but fails. As Unknown approaches and identifies the woman as Kurofa Kachina, who has changed into a female form using her Lunar charms so as to hang out with the team in a less intimidating guise. Kurofa says she is the one who secured a place at the bath houses for the party and that she wanted to spend some time with them because she hasn’t been hanging out with other Exalted ever since her party went their separate ways.

Unknown, Idris, and Zhuī let Kurofa join their group and make their way to the gated entrance to the Bath of Venus. An attendant alerts the party to a temporary closure, to prepare the bath house for the rare yearly visit by Mars and Venus, and the party postpones bathing and opts to visit a tea house in a nearby shopping plaza. Unknown, excited by the invitation to go drinking, immediately embraces Idris and kisses her.

Maheka Zien Mu, Zhuī Lóng’s Brother

At the establishment, named the Tenth Maiden’s Tea House, Idris asks Zhuī about her marriage and, after some awkward questioning and a few drinks, discovers that Zhuī married her biological brother in order to bring him with her legally to Yu-Shan. During the questioning, Kurofa asks Unknown is she can try some of the extremely potent drink she ordered. Unknown kisses Kurofa and transfer her drink to the surprised Lunar’s mouth. Kurofa kisses Unknown and the two make out until Unknwon comes up for breath and claims that Kurofa somehow drank all the alcohol that was already in her body with the kiss.

Unknown and Idris visit the bar and Idris reveals to Unknown her secret intentions for the day: to give Zhuī a makeover that makes her look less masculine. Unknown agrees to helps as she agrees that Zhuī looks too masculine. The two ask the manager for a powerful alcoholic drink, thinking they can take advantage of Zhuī’s obvious desire to outdrink Kurofa to lull her into an easily manipulatable drunken stupor.

After some haggling, the bartender agrees to give the two a massive amount of a magical cocktail. It allows them to place a compulsion on the drinkers and the two decide on something to encourage submission to a ‘full spa experience’, including lingerie and perfume shopping as well as makeovers and sensual massages. The magical concoction is poured into a giant ensorcelled glass-barrel with two integrated straws which keeps track of who consumes more liquid. The drink is brought to Zhuī and Kurofa who readily take to a drinking contest. Eventually, the barrel announces Kurofa as the winner. As a prize, Kurofa requests 15 minutes alone with Zhuī later, which she accepts.

Shortly, Zhuī and Kurofa, the latter of whom is actually male but has also received the compulsion to be given a makeover, drunkenly and in unison start asking about makeover. An appropriate 80’s style montage of Idris, Kurofa, and Zhuī’s makeovers commences. After trying on and purchasing lingerie, new outfits, and perfume, the four Exalts are assisted by the Heilum, Goddess of Sexually Suggestive Swimwear, in getting swimsuits for the bath of Venus.

The Exalts, in their new ensembles, return to the Bath of Venus. The manager Onsenna, Goddess of Bath Houses, Hot Springs, & Spas, informs them that the private room is unavailable due to the attendance Mars and Venus. They agree to visit the Exalted-only rooms, which they discover have a unisex changing rooms but partitioned onsen. Other patrons are already in the changing room. This includes Slinger’s two love interests and a circle of the new Exalt type, such as Vaughan the Vagrant and an unfamiliar male Exalt with long dark hair, facial tattoos, and a horned hairstyle. Unknown gets a strange feeling when she looks at this man, so Idris approaches him for her and inquires as to whether Unknown can see him privately. His name is Litany Against Fear, and before Idris can finish introducing herself to him, he interrupts her and says he’ll speak to Unknown in the men’s area in a few minutes.

Izzie

A miniscule boar is snuffling at Litany’s feet, so Idris bends down and introduces herself, offering the boar some almonds which he readily consumes. The boar seems uninterested with her but follows her back to Unknown, where Idris relays the information. Unknown proceeds to cuddle the boar, which is known as Izzy. Idris then approaches Vaughan, whom she is intrigued with and drawn to, and asks him how he is adjusting to Heaven. He was last seen disappearing from Slinger’s land boat with The Madame, but he seems strangely at ease in the celestial bath house. She asks him if he’d like to talk to someone for advice or guidance regarding life in Yu Shan, but he declines, saying that he is open to seeing her later but not about discussing Heaven. Idris is confused, even somewhat dejected, and Vaughan disappears into the men’s section without further explanation.

Unknown proceeds into the men’s area in order to meet up with Litany, passing Vaughan as she does so. She passes on a request from Idris for another meeting in the changing room. He gives Unknown a small whistle for Idris, saying that she may use it to summon him to her in Creation, but that it will take five days’ time when she does so. He mentions having immediate business to attend to. Unknown gently urges him to at least say goodbye to Idris before he goes, and he accedes, though albeitly a bit confused. Unknown relays this message to Idris, then returns immediately to the men’s room to stay with Litany.

As Idris and Vaughan are reunited again, she asks him to join her sometime for dinner, and expresses her pleasure in their surprise meeting at the spa. He agrees but appears standoffish as usual. She attempts to explain that she can be found at her manse in the Blessed Rooftop Garden, but he looks further confused, explaining that he won’t have the time for a while, mentioning that someone must die. Idris decides not to delay him further but kisses his cheek as a good bye and for luck on his voyage. Before he leaves the room, she notices that she has a definite physical and emotional effect on him, even if he tries to hide it, and is satisfied in her efforts.

Meanwhile in the men’s area, Unknown asks Litany why he seems so familiar to her. He isn’t exactly sure but believes it may be due to them establishing a bond in a previous incarnation. He also seems to think that every Exalt of his type of Exalt is bound to one Sidereal somehow. As she starts to respond, a loud alarm sounds and the doors begin to close, sequestering bathers. Litany and Unknown run for the door and make it into the shared changing room.

Litany escapes the Baths of Venus while Unknown narrowly makes it back into the women’s section to regroup with her comrades, observing a still-drunk Zhuī receiving a massage from woman called Ecstatic Light. Kurofa is also tipsy and has morphed into a koi fish swimming lazily in the hot water. Idris ask Kurofa to change into her Quetzal Warform form so that they can evacuate. She transform and the group gets into position to make their escape, with Idris and Unknown astride Kurofa and holding onto Zhuī. A few other patrons grab on: Ecstatic, Amber River, Insatiable Star, and another new Exalt who identifies herself as Ailani of Melevhil. The women hang on as Kurofa lifts off and soars away from the chaotic open-roof onsen. As Kurofa gets closer to land, Ecstatic and Ailani jump off and Idris, taking an immediate dislike to Amber, encourages her and Insatiable to follow them.

Idris, Kurofa, Unknown, and Zhuī continue to Idris’s manse where they rest and recuperate. Several rumors regarding the alarm are going around, specifically that a team of Sidereal Exalted snuck into the private room to glimpse Mars and Venus in the nude. Some say that one of the prowlers was none other than Slinger Sooth-Salad, who it is said prematurely flared his anime banner.